Beachgoers in Cleethorpes have been urged to stay away from a curled octopus that washed up on the coast.
The octopus, which has been given the nickname Curly the Kraken, seems to have set up residence on the north prom shoreline at the Lincolnshire beach.
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But there are now concerns it may be harassed by people or dogs as its arrival has attracted crowds, according to Grimsby Live.
Resort manager Scott Snowden said the unusual creature must be protected and has told visitors to keep their distance.
Snowden said: "It is quite a rarity to have one on our doorstep. We would urge people to respect nature and let it enjoy its natural habitat.
"Unfortunately, we have had dogs trying to disturb it and my big worry is the number of people gathering to have a look.
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"We all have a duty to keep a social distance and that includes from the octopus.
"There have been some quite large groups and we cannot have that in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
"The responsible thing to do is to leave it to its natural ways."
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Snowden also urged people to stick to the social distancing guidelines.
He added: "It has clearly found the beach is a safe environment, with its well-oxygenated, salt water and plentiful food source and we want to keep it that way.
"Cleethorpes is a special scientific interest site and that is why we have dog bans at times and it is important everyone respects nature."
Curled octopus - also known as a horned octopus - can change colour to match surroundings and can grow up to 50cm long.
They usually live in the North Atlantic Ocean, but have previously been spotted along shores as wide ranging as Norway and the Mediterranean.
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"There was a famous octopus which featured at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and correctly predicted the winners of each of the games," Snowden added.
"This one clearly knows Cleethorpes is a winner."
Featured Image Credit: Grimsby News and Picture Service